Journalists across the country work hard every day to gather and report the news for their communities. Unfortunately, the highly polarized political climate has put the safety of journalists at risk. The News Media Alliance applauds Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) for bicameral introduction the Journalist Protection Act, which would give federal prosecutors the power to prosecute those who attack or intimidate journalists while they are attempting to do their jobs. We hope that with the bill’s enactment, journalists will be safer on the job and can focus on informing the public and enhancing the public discourse, which are critical to a functioning democracy.
David Chavern is former President & CEO of the News/Media Alliance. Chavern has 30 years of experience in executive strategic and operational roles. Prior to the Alliance, he completed a decade-long tenure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.